Photo by Buda Mendes/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC
Having just recently given birth to her first child, UFC strawweight prospect Mackenzie Dern is ready to return to the Octagon.
One of the UFC’s top strawweight prospects is slated to fight in the Octagon for the first time this year.
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reported on Monday that verbal agreements are in for decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas to face off at UFC on ESPN+ 19 in October. No venue has been confirmed for that event, as of yet.
Dern (7-0) made her UFC debut last year, winning a split decision against Ashley Yoder at UFC 222. In her most recent appearance, she dropped Amanda Bobby Cooper with a punch and quickly secured a fight-ending rear-naked choke. It should be noted that Dern missed weight by nearly an entire weight class, coming in at 123 lbs, marking her third failure to make weight. Since then, Dern has been inactive due to pregnancy, giving birth to her daughter Moa on June 9th.
Ribas (7-1) prevailed in her UFC debut last month at UFC Minneapolis, submitting Emily Whitmire in the second-round. The Brazilian was unable to make her Octagon debut until recently after getting caught up in a USADA suspension for ostarine. Her two-year ban was overturned after USADA deemed that her positive result was consistent with supplement contamination.
The October 12th card is expected to be headlined by former strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Michelle Waterson.